LITTLE ROCK — Southern Bancorp names next CEO
Darrin Williams, a lawyer and member of the Arkansas General Assembly, will become chief executive officer of Southern Bancorp of Arkadelphia, effective Feb. 1.
Southern, with $1.1 billion in assets, is the fifth-largest community development bank in the country. With a nonprofit affiliate, Southern works to revitalize underserved communities in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Williams, a Democrat, will keep his District 36 seat in the House of Representatives. He will work part time until the session ends, when he will assume full-time responsibilities as Southern’s chief executive.
Williams is currently a principal in the Little Rock law firm of Carney Williams Bates Pulliam & Bowman.
- David Smith
State’s metro areas see jobless rates fall
The unemployment rate dropped in every metropolitan area in the state in November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in the Little Rock metropolitan area, the lowest since 5.2 percent in December 2008.
Northwest Arkansas’ unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent in November, its lowest level since November 2008, when it was 4.3 percent.
Other November unemployment rates in Arkansas’ metropolitan areas, compared with November 2011, were:
Texarkana, 5.6 percent, down from 6.8 percent.
Jonesboro, 6.2 percent, down from 6.5 percent.
Hot Springs, 6.8 percent, down from 7.5 percent.
Fort Smith, 7.6 percent, down from 8.1 percent.
Pine Bluff, 8.3 percent, down from 9.3 percent.
Index little changed
with 8 up, 8 down
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 0.04 to 250.41 Wednesday.
“U.S. stocks closed modestly higher after Alcoa kicked off the start of earnings season with a bullish demand outlook,” said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. “The Arkansas Index was essentially unchanged as eight stocks advanced and eight declined.”
P.A.M. Transportation Services rose 2.6 percent in light trading.
Arkansas Best lost 4.6 percent in average trading.
Volume was 21.3 million shares, compared with average daily volume of 24.6 million shares.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 23 on 01/10/2013